11 Days of Remembrance: Those Old March Pasts

Despite having a plethora of things to talk about with regards to Remembrance Day, I sometimes still need to look for inspiration. Not necessarily for what to write about, but the best way to get something across. While searching for the right word, I'll occasionally listen to some music that is relevant in some way. Lately, I've been listening to instrumental versions of songs that the squadron band used to play when I was a cadet, in my room, all by my lonesome.

Listening to those march pasts tend to bring back memories of Tuesday nights spent on the parade square, and monthly Commanding Officer (C.O) parades. It makes sense that the band would be playing such a medley. The Air Cadet program is a partnership between the Air Cadet League of Canada and the Department of National Defense. Besides, cadet programs were originally created to train young men for war. It's fascinating how everything tends to come full-circle, isn't it?

I'd like to take a few moments, and share with you those sounds of Tuesday nights from my teenage years. While you envision many of Canada's youth in crisply ironed uniforms and glistening boots, also picture those who marched-past-in-column-of-route many decades ago. I still hear some of these songs come the Remembrance Day at the service at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, but they can also be heard at Military Tattoos, and I'm pretty sure I once heard "Scotland the Brave/ The Black Bear" at Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario about ten years ago...

...By the left, quick march...

Scipio

Royal Air Force March Past

  
Scotland the Brave/ The Black Bear

 For more, refer to the 11 Days of Remembrance miniseries from 2011 and 2012.